Round 3: How Grandparents Can Help Without Hassling

Most parents can use an extra set of hands from time to time, but when that assistance comes from our own parents, there may be strings attached. Catherine chatted with Susan Adcox, About.com's expert on grandparenting, about how grandparents should behave when they're stepping in to help out and how parents can graciously accept that help (and maybe a little advice). They talked about why grandma shouldn't monopolize the "good baby" time; the need to avoid disagreeing in front of the children; who gets the last word on behavior management and food issues; and the need for Grandma and Grandpa to overcome that urge to just fix things.

For more advice on the topic, read the following articles on Susan's site:

+ How Grandparents Can Help When a Grandchild Is Born
+ How Grandparents Can Help When a Parent Is Ill
+ Do Some Grandparents Have Problems With Boundaries?
+ How Grandparents Can Help Time-Poor Parents

If you're reading this recap somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.